SEEN from p7 portraying that to the viewer. Miami lingo, Cre- ole language, and working-class individuals are encapsulated in their full authenticity, helping these underrepresented groups feel seen. Adding to Rap Sh!t’s authenticity are the characters themselves. The show centers around Shawna and Mia, who both know they have the potential to become higher ver- sions of themselves. However, they grapple with internal and external factors that pop up, such as the opinions of family and friends, that voice of self-doubt, and overall haunting expectations from society. Rap Sh!t delivers a dose of realism to the screen in place of an overly fictionalized fan- tasy of Miami. The series gives the nod to uni- versal groups such as entrepreneurs, hustlers, mothers, 9-5ers, and creatives while also ac- curately depicting social media’s influence on “THE BLACK PEOPLE AND THE BLACK CULTURE THAT’S [IN MIAMI] IS SO RICH.” a global scale. And, of course, there’s a nod to the city’s music, featuring artists like Trick Daddy and Trina. (Shout out to the music su- pervisor of the show.) Singleton wants audiences to grasp “the idea of seeing more for yourself, the potential, the idea of what you can be, and what you can achieve, the internal battles or internal things that you have to fix and address in order to take that next step. We have this potential to be more than we could ever imagine, but it takes that work, and we watch the girls do the work.” Rap Sh!t was made by us, for us — both those born and raised in the County of Dade and those who vacation here yet go back home to lives similar to its characters. So the real question is: Why not Miami? New episodes of Rap Sh!t are available to stream on HBO Max every Thursday. [email protected] Aida Osman & Kamillion ON LOCATION Where was Rap Sh!t filmed? Here are some of the more notable locations on the show. BY JOSE D. DURAN W ith a 100 percent rating on Rotten To- matoes, HBO Max’s Rap Sh!t has been met with critical acclaim. Audi- ences are clearly enjoying Shawna and Mia’s jour- ney to rap superstardom. The series was created by writer, producer, and actress Issa Rae, who came up with the idea while filming the final season of her hit show Insecure. The show is partly inspired by the story of how the City Girls’ Yung Miami and JT broke onto the scene. In fact, you can’t help but compare the duo to the fictional characters of Mia and Shawna (played by KaMillion and Aida Osman, respec- tively). Mia is a makeup artist who moonlights as a sex worker, while Shawna works at the front desk at the Plymouth Hotel while stealing guests’ credit-card information. (JT was sent to federal prison for doing the same thing.) But for those who are familiar with South Florida, what really makes Rap Sh!t such a treat is seeing Miami on display in an authentic way. The show goes beyond just getting the lingo and hustle cul- ture right. It was also shot in the city — a rarity these days, considering Florida no longer offers the tax credits that lure production companies. (Unfortunately, Deadline reports that filming for the show’s second season will move to California, thanks to $12.6 million in tax credits from the state. It’s unclear if the show’s Miami setting will remain despite the change in production location.) HBO provided the first six episodes to press for review, and New Times couldn’t restrain ourselves from taking note of the locations. Here are a few of the most notable ones we spotted in the first six episodes. We’re keeping this guide, for the most part, spoiler-free, but if you don’t want to know anything that happens this season, you might want to stop reading now. The Plymouth (336 21st St., Miami Beach) At the beginning of the first episode, the viewer is shown a quick sequence of clips showing ev- eryone excited about being in Miami before cut- ting to Shawna at her job working the front desk at the Plymouth. The series quickly lets you know this show isn’t about the people who make Miami their playground, instead focusing on those who rely on the beaches and sunshine as a means to get by. The Office (250 NE 183rd St., Miami) Located at the edge of Miami Gardens, the Office serves as a pivotal location in Rap Sh!t’s story. To- ward the end of the first episode, Shawna and Mia end their night at the strip club. Former high- school friends, the pair lost touch over the years, but after the wild night, they film a clip of them- selves rapping what effectively serves as their motto for the rest of the season: “Seduce and scheme.” Freehold Miami (2219 NW Second Ave., Miami) Before Shawna and Mia end up at the Office, they start their night in Wynwood — at Freehold. “’Cause the party going dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb,” Shawn says on her Instagram Story with the bar clearly empty. “Girl, what kind of par- ties you be at?” Mia asks with obvious concern. New Times couldn’t help but guffaw at the quick exchange, because we’ve all been there — trying to make the best out of a not-so-great night. The New Yorker (6500 Biscayne Blvd., Miami) The standout character of Rap Sh!t might actually be the always-be-hustling Chastity (AKA Duke of Miami). Disillusioned about her job as pimp, she sees Shawna and Mia as her way out of the sex- work industry and into the music industry. From the parking lot at the New Yorker, she reaches out to Mia, letting her know that she “knows every- body” (not true) and promising she can get their track to the right people. Brick (187 NW 28th St., Miami) In episode four, Chastity takes Mia and a dressed- for-the-office Shawna to Brick in order to meet up with an industry connection. Instead, they’re forced to wait in line under the blazing sun. It makes for a humorous and awkward encounter thanks to Mia’s two other high-school friends, Ale- sia and Nelly, who think Shawna thinks she’s too good for everybody else. (Shawna’s conservative outfit certainly isn’t challenging that claim.) E11even (29 NE 11th St., Miami) Later in episode four, the pack winds up at E11even after Chasity gets what the viewer can only assume is the cheapest table at the 24-hour nightclub — right next to the bathrooms. The ver- sion of E11even presented on the show feels highly sanitized (New Times knows of what we speak). Without revealing too much, what tran- spires at the club gives Shawna and Mia a glimpse of what will happen if they make it big. [email protected] 8 3 MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 JULY 28-AUGUST 3, 2022 NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS |miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com miaminewtimes.com Alicia Vera-HBO Max
